


Birds of the Night

by lightningstrikestheworld



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Evil AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-07
Updated: 2016-10-07
Packaged: 2018-08-20 03:24:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8234381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightningstrikestheworld/pseuds/lightningstrikestheworld
Summary: Two people both leading a double life. But what happens when they meet each other unknowingly in both lives?





	1. Chapter 1

The great Gotham City. That's where it all began for Nightwing. It was where he was raised, where he grew up, everything that ever happened in his life revolved around Gotham. It was his best memory, but it was also what haunted him at night.

It was the place he lost his parents.

That's probably what started his, career, as he liked to call it. When the police ruled their deaths as an accident, he became furious. He was angry at the police for ruling it an accident, he was angry at himself for not realizing that the act had been sabotaged. He was angry nobody would listen to him.

Richard, a name he didn't like to be called anymore, was taken in by the famous Bruce Wayne, where he learned everything about almost everything. Combat fighting he excelled in, criminal justice laws, psychology, sociology. He learned how to read any given person like an open book. He could pick out one thing that got under their skin and exploit it.

Bruce couldn't have been more proud of Robin, the name the acrobat's mother had called him during their acts in the circus, and was very pleased in how well he had learned everything, how quickly he had learned, how great of a detective he would become.

Only, he didn't become that. He took all of his training and all of his hard work and he turned into the opposite of what was expected from him. He knew it was something his parents would have never wanted for him, but it was always a thought lingering in the back of his mind.

Avenging his parents was the only thing that mattered to him. He vowed to find the man responsible for his parents' deaths, and he would end him. He would put every second of every day into training and hunting for the man. When he found the man, Nightwing would break him in more ways than one.

Soon, Nightwing had become a notorious criminal in Gotham, evading capture and detection everywhere he went. He made out well, thanks to the chip he stole from Wayne Enterprises to teleport here there and yonder at any given time. He could be in and out of a place in under three minutes and make his mark, rewarding him immensely.

But it was nights like these he really liked. He gave himself one night a month to go out for the night and do whatever it was he pleased. Usually, he spent the night drinking at a bar a little over a block from his apartment. Women always came onto him, but he brushed them off and just minded his own.

Tonight, however, was a different story.

He had been sitting at the bar beside a couple that were having a tongue war when he caught sight of her. Finishing his drink, he placed his napkin over the glass indicating he would be back, and strode over to her.

She had pitch black hair that barely skimmed her shoulders and was holding a glass much like the one he had in his grasp mere seconds ago. As he approached her, she looked up at him, her dark eyes seemingly dancing with mischief.

Oh boy, what had he just walked in to?

"I couldn't help but notice you were sitting all alone." he slid into the chair across from her, giving her that smile that no one could resist. "A girl as beautiful as you should have people lined up for miles just to be near you."

She flashed a smile back at him and his heart nearly stopped. Her head cocked to the side and she spoke. "How stupid do you think I am?" There was a slight amusement to her voice and Richard picked up on it instantly.

"I don't think you're stupid at all." He replied, not able to tear his eyes away from her. "In fact, you seem to be rather intelligent."

The girl raised the glass to her lips. "You'd be correct in your assumption."

Richard just stared at her, taking in everything he could about gather from the girl sitting in front of him. All of his life, he could read people so easily, but her... she was an entirely different book, like she was written in a language he couldn't even fathom.

"You're staring, Boy Wonder." Her voice brought him back to the scene unfolding before him.

"I apologize for that," he said, fighting the faint pink coloring his cheeks, "it's just..."

"It's just what?" She challenged.

"I find you... Intriguing."

"Intriguing." She repeated, finishing the rest of her glass. "Well, that's a first."

"A first for what?"

She got to her feet, toying with the hem of her dark gray skin tight shirt. "Of all the things I've ever been called. Would you like to accompany me out there?" She gestured to the dance floor.

Smiling, he stood and invaded her space. "I think I will."

She weaved her way through the dancing bodies with Richard right on her heels. Once they made it to the middle of the floor, she stopped and spun around, facing him, and smiled. He smiled back and together they fell into the music.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I ever caught your name." Richard said as the girl slowed her movements.

"I never told you." She smirked at him.

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

She nodded at him. "Rachel."

"Richard."

"Is that what you prefer to be called?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"

"Is that what you like to be called?"

Oh. "Well, I'm not exactly around people that often, and most people it's only a brief interaction."

Her eyes widened slightly. "You mean you don't have a wife or a family or anything?"

He held up his left hand and wiggled his fingers. "No attachments." He gestured to her own hand. "I take it you don't either?"

"Wanna get out of here and go get some dinner?"

He raised his eyebrows. "At this hour?"

Rachel put her hands on her hips. "Would you rather stay here with all these people or go somewhere quiet so we can continue this conversation?"

Richard couldn't get out of there fast enough.

.............

"He seriously thought he could dive off of a three story balcony and into the swimming pool?" Rachel snorted, covering her mouth with her hand.

"He was drunk off his ass, of course he did! He also thought that he could snap his fingers and have an attractive woman on his arm."

Rachel laughed even harder, her eyes squeezing shut as she did. Richard laughed along with her, her laughter becoming another thing on the very long list of things he found that he liked about her.

"So you really don't have a family or anything? A girlfriend? A cat?" She asked him, wiping tears away from her eyes.

"Hey, I think I look like more of a dog person." He earned a small laugh from Rachel. "But nope. It's just me and my empty apartment."

"God, how could you not?" She asked, taking a sip from the cup in front of her.

"What do you mean by that?" He straightened up and pushed away his empty plate.

"Well, I just figured you'd have some type of life outside of the bar. Like a super model girlfriend, three cars, live in a really big, really expensive house."

"So I peg you as a rich boy?" He said, his voice tinted with amusement.

She laughed again, covering it up with the back of her hand. "No, I am not pegging you as a rich boy. I don't know what I expected honestly. It just seemed like you'd have someone waiting for you at home."

"Nope. I haven't had anyone to come home to in years."

Rachel's eyes softened, then flared up with something Richard couldn't place. "Rachel? Are you al-"

"I have to go." She jumped up abruptly, digging through her wallet and tossing a twenty on the table. "I'm sorry, I really wish I could stay, but I just have to go."

Richard latched onto her hand as she walked by. "What is it? Did I do something-"

"No you didn't do anything wrong, you did everything right." She said quickly, turning her hand so that her fingers laced with his. "I just really need to go."

"Can I see you again?"

"What?"

"I want to see you again, if you'd like that."

She smiled and gave his hand a hard squeeze. "Meet me here tomorrow, same time, same booth."

"Okay." He smiled at her. "Be careful, Rachel."

"You too." She said before taking off out of the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Richard looked for her everywhere. And he literally meant everywhere. He searched the streets and the clubs and the bars and everywhere he could possibly think of that she would visit. He even searched the libraries upon recalling she mentioned she loved the classics.

But no matter where, or how hard, he looked for her, she was nowhere to be found.

And it drove him _crazy_.

He groaned as he perched on the edge of the fire escape near his apartment. Thinking about her wouldn't get him anywhere, and it would only serve as a distraction for him.

Now was not the time for him to be distracted.

With a sigh he dove over the edge and landed perfectly on his feet. His client had requested to meet him in the alley-which he found quite strange but didn't question-in exactly two minutes.

Nightwing ran his hand through his dark hair. He really needed to focus. He needed this job. He had to do something to distract him.

A sudden wind swept through the alley and he whipped around to face it. He couldn't help the sinking feeling in his gut that he was being watched. Now that he became slightly paranoid, he began hearing things. Someone whistling, something running into the dumpster against the wall, giggling of a girl.

Wait, why did that giggle sound familiar?

He turned back around, thinking the sound came from the mouth of the alley. Nightwing moved to follow, only, something rather odd occurred.

He felt someone blow on his ear. It was followed by feather light touches on the nape of his neck, followed by that giggle. A shiver ran down his spine and sank deep into his bones.

Richard whirled around, finding himself alone in the alley, as he had been, and noting that everything was exactly where it had been.

Nothing moved. No one was there.

So who was that standing behind him only mere seconds ago?

"Excuse me?" A male voice called out and Nigtwing faced the entrance of the alley, hand flying to his utility belt. A man in a long trench coat and fedora stood yards away from him. "Are you Nightwing?"

His hand strayed from his belt. Immediately he squared his shoulder and brought himself to his full height. He have a curt nod and the man approached him. "I have been waiting for this moment." Now that the voice was closer, Richard felt he knew the voice. Maybe his nerves were on edge from the incident just moments ago...

The man reached for his pocket, only to quickly grab the edge of the coat and throw in on the ground, the fedora following shortly after it. Nightwing stood, taking in the man's features. Tall, fairly muscular, dark hair with a few patches of gray...

_Shit._

"Hello, child."

.................

Running. Running was the only thing he could really do, and he couldn't even do that well. Something was definitely wrong with his ankle, he could tell by the way a sharp pain rocked through it when he put pressure on it, but stopping was not an option.

"Give it up, child!" He heard Slade behind him. "You won't get away from me this time!"

Dammit, his voice sounded closer than it had last time. If Richard was going to get away, he had to bolt, and he had to bolt fast. He pushed harder, the pain in his left ankle worsening with each stride. He was always tough when it came to injuries, but this was about to make him collapse.

Up ahead was a fence, and there was a dumpster close enough that he could jump on it, kick off the wall, and propel himself over the fence well enough so he could roll and continue to run.

He glanced over his shoulder, catching Slade at a too close for comfort distance away from him.

He made his decision.

Pushing off with his left foot, he sprang into the air, using his hands to grip the side of the dumpster, his bad ankle launching him from the dumpster, his right connecting with the wall, his left hand grabbing the top of the fence and sending him flying over.

It was then he realized he was going to have to land on his feet.

This would end very badly.

He closed his eyes and waited for the impact to break him, but instead, he felt something strong wrap around his chest, and his body was whipped around, facing the right. He opened his eyes, looking down, noticing that he was flying seven, maybe ten feet off the ground, and he was only going higher.

He caught a glimpse of black clad arms around him, and gazed above at his savior. He couldn't tell much about them, other than their face was hidden in the shadows of their hood.

Moments later, he was eased down onto his backside, his leg held straight out so it wouldn't land in the gravel. His hands caught him and eased him the rest of the way down. He felt a gentle push on his shoulders, and his back met something hard. He let out a relieved sigh and let his leg rest.

Richard's ankle throbbed and he let out a grunt, his eyes closing and the back of his head hitting the wall behind him. "Thanks for the save."

"You're welcome." A feminine voice answered, causing him sit straight up and his eyes to snap open. Before him knelt a girl with pale skin, purple hair, and four eyes, all of them red. She was easily the most intimidating woman he had ever met.

"I don't think I've had the pleasure of meeting you before." He said, trying to cover up his intimidation. "What's your-"

"I know you're intimidated by me," Her voice floated through the air between them, "so don't bother trying to hide it." Where had he heard that tone of voice before?

"Empath?" He questioned.

She titled her head to the side, as if confused, yet strangely, surprised. "You're a smart one, aren't you?"

"I also know you're something else," he shifted a little, wincing as a piece of gravel dug into his ankle, "but I don't know it just yet."

"Oh, Nightwing, don't the eyes give it away?" Her smile was sinister, and it made Richard want to shiver. "I'm half demon."

He smirked. "I just got saved by a demon?"

She leaned back to sit on her haunches, hands clasped between her knees. "Mhm. You owe me, Nightwing."

He relaxed into the wall. "Usually, people owe me. It's never the other way around."

"But you let Slade get the best of you, didn't 'cha?" She smiled at him again.

His blood boiled at her realization. "He caught me off guard. I thought he was out of town for the day, but I guess he decided to make a special appearance. Guess word got around I was planning something tonight."

Her smile faded as her eyes rested on his ankle. "I think you broke it." She spoke, reaching out to touch it. He jerked back and she gave a small laugh. "Relax, Boy Blunder," he glared at her at the insult, "I'm only trying to help."

"Why would you help me? You're a demon."

She flinched, as if he had struck her. She closed her eyes, and Richard watched as two of them disappeared. When she opened them again, her eyes weren't solid red. No, they looked to be normal, human eyes, only, her irises were a strange violet color. He found himself getting lost in them as he stared at her.

But, why did she seem so familiar to him?

" _Half_ demon, thank you." She corrected, and his ankle felt a strange, yet soothing, tingling sensation. He looked down and saw his foot enveloped in some sort of black energy, and watched his laces unravel and the boot slide off his foot. If he hadn't have been watching, he wouldn't even be aware the boot was off.

"Hm," she said, leaning down to inspect it closer, "definitely broken. Nothing I can't fix."

"Fix?"

She looked up and smiled, tucking her hair behind her ears. "I'm full of surprises."

She held her hands over his ankle and focused on her hands. A crystallized glow surrounded her hands, and he felt his body begin to react with it. He felt something move inside him, but strangely, it didn't hurt.

Richard focused on her face, watching her concentrate on the task at hand. One of her eyes twitched, and her tongue darted out to wet her lips. He jaw clenched once, then relaxed. He found her intriguing, beautiful, even.

But _god_ , he felt he had seen her before, but he could not place a name for the life of him.

He felt the warmth spread through his entire foot, and after about a minute, she pulled her hands away, her hands grasping her knees.

Curiosity got the better of him and he moved his ankle slowly. It felt a little stiff, but it wasn't hurting. At all. He looked up at the pale girl, pure amazement on his face. A small smirk graced her lips. "Next time, try not to break any bones."

"Thank you..." He trailed off, hoping she would finish for him.

"Raven." She stated, pushing herself into her feet and walking towards the edge of the rooftop.

"Raven." He repeated. "I hope I see you again one day." He called out to her, rising to his feet, something in his brain telling him to go after her.

"Let's hope under different circumstances, Boy Wonder." She turned and gave him that cocky, almost sinful smirk. Her hands raised the hood of her dark cloak over her head, and a black energy, shaped like a raven, appeared, its wings surrounding her and phasing into the ground.

Boy Wonder? Someone had called him that just yesterday...


	3. Chapter 3

Richard sighed and let the water run over his face. It hadn't been a long journey home, seeing as he was only a few streets over from his apartment. As soon as he made it home, he remembered Rachel, the girl from the bar, and tonight was the night he was meeting her at the diner.

But now, he felt conflicted. He liked Rachel, he truly did. He found her beautiful and interesting and kind, though she had a side of her that loved to tease. But all in all, he liked her.

But Raven... Raven was an entirely different story. She was half demon, but yet, she saved him from a certain hero who almost had him this time. She was intimidating and intriguing. He found that he wanted to get to know her, and the more he thought about her, the more beautiful he thought she was.

With a groan he turned off the water and dried off, wrapping the towel around his waist and walking into his bedroom. He threw the closet door open and grabbed a pair of dark jeans and a navy blue t-shirt, tossing them into his bed and changing into them.

For now, he would enjoy his night with Rachel. Later, he would decide who he would rather learn more about.

............

Sure enough, there she was, in that same booth that she had ran from just last night. She wore a deep purple shirt and a silver bracelet dangling from her left wrist. As Richard walked in, a bell chimed, drawing Rachel's attention.

Their eyes met and Richard smiled, Rachel giving him a small smile of her own. He slid into the booth and greeted her.

"So, you actually showed up."

"Of course I did." Richard leaned across the table, never taking his eyes away from hers. "I was having a rather good time and you ran off before I was finished talking."

"Oh?" She challenged, crossing her arms on the table and leaning towards him. "I apologize for an inconvenience I may have caused you."

"Oh, no, I didn't mean-"

She laughed, cutting him off.

Richard froze. He knew that laugh. It was the laugh he heard in the alley yesterday.

"You okay?" She said, a faint pink staining her cheeks.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He recovered quickly. "I jut forgot how much I liked your laugh."

She laughed once again and that same chill ran down his spine.

"I hated having to run out like that." She admitted to him. "My ex-boyfriend came into the store, and it didn't end well between us. I don't like being around him anymore."

"Completely understandable." He told her, idly playing with his fingers. "But you know, it's his loss."

She smirked. "It was my gain." She smiled at him and his breath caught in his throat. "More so now, might I add."

He smiled back just as the waitress appeared. They ordered their food and Richard turned his attention to Rachel. "So, was this boyfriend the first one you ever had, or no?"

"I had one before him. It didn't end well between he and I either, unfortunately."

"Seems like you have bad luck with relationships." He taunted.

She tossed that smirk at him again. "Seems like you have just as bad of luck as I do when it comes to relationships, Mr. I-spend-my-nights-at-bars-staring-down-random-women."

"Hey!" He said, mocking insult. "I don't dare women's down. You are the first woman I have ever talked to anywhere outside of a bar, let alone met them for dinner two nights in a row."

She raised an eyebrow, an almost cocky expression on her face. "Should I be concerned that you take men home from bars then?"

His face turned bright red and she laughed again.

Just as he was about to give her a smart ass remark, the bell chimed and his attention shifted to the door, where he saw a familiar face and froze.

Slade.

Quickly, Richard fished his wallet from his pocket and tossed a twenty dollar bill on the table. "I apologize, but I have to go."

"Oh." She sounded slightly disappointed. "Alright then."

"Can we try tomorrow, maybe here at noon?" He hesitated by her, trying not to draw attention to himself.

"Yeah." Her eyes lit up a bit. "Yeah, that'd be good. I guess I'll see you then, Richard."

He nodded and nearly ran for the door.

.............

Nightwing liked to hide here, on the fire escape of the apartment building a few blocks from the industrial building she had taken him to. It had been five days since that night she had healed him, and he never stopped searching for her.

He couldn't stop thinking about her. He had been intimidated by her at first, but soon, he felt... drawn, to her in some way. He could not shake her image from his brain, and when his eyes closed, he saw her face. He saw her no matter how hard he tried to think of anything, anything else.

But he had to see her again, in person. Not in his memory or in his dreams, where she had become a reoccurring resident.

Trash cans crunching snapped his attention to the alley below, where he saw a figure curled up among the bent metal cans. A caped figure stood before it, and Richard found himself placing a name to the person.

Red X.

"You know you can't escape me now. Not when you're weak like you are at the moment."

"What did you do to me?" A familiar voice said, the figure pushing itself off the cans.

"Oh, are your powers failing you? Tsk tsk. Sounds like my pretty Little Bird has a broken wing." He taunted, stepping closer, bending over to reach for the person. "My, my. What am I ever going to do with a broken little bird?"

Red X pulled up suddenly, whirling his prey into the wall to his left. Richard caught a flash of purple, and the unnamed person's head dangling inches above their chest. The next thing he caught sight of was purple hair. And he only ever knew one person with that color hair.

Raven.

Without thinking, Nightwing launched himself over the railing, reaching into his belt and throwing a small explosive towards X, a battle cry erupting from his throat. Red X's attention shifted to him, an adhesive X was thrown at the explosive, wrapping around it and sending it flying into the wall.

Nightwing rolled and kicked out, his feet connecting with X's chest, sending the hero flying through the air and crashing into the trash cans, similar to how he had done to Raven. Springing to his feet, he reached Raven, who was on her hands and knees, trying to force at into her lungs.

He took her into his arms, lifting her up, when he caught movement in his peripheral vision. He reached for another explosive, but he felt a sudden cold wrap around him and the scene before him disappeared.

Nanoseconds later, the cold feeling was gone, and he looked around, seeing he was on the roof of his apartment building.

"It's not far away from him," Raven's voice was quiet, much quieter than it had been before, "but it's as far as I could get us away."

Richard's arms were still around her waist, his stomach pressed to her side. "How did X get the upper hand on you?" He removed his arms and leaned back on his haunches.

"I don't know." He noticed her arms were shaking. "I was walking home from this diner, then the next I know I'm shoved into the alley and thrown into the trash." Her chest was rising and falling rapidly.

"Are you feeling okay?" He asked, not knowing if he should reach out to her or not.

She shook her head. "I-I couldnt use my powers. I feel weak, like I'm about to pass out." Her elbows buckled, but Richard reached out and caught her before she could face plant the cement.

"I got you." He said, pushing himself onto his feet, his arms wrapped around Raven's waist, pulling her up with him. He tossed her arm around his shoulders and kept his left arm around her waist, walking to the entrance to the stairwell.

"You don't have to do this." She said, wobbling on her feet beside him. "I can manage up here for the night."

He smiled down at her. "I owe you, remember?" Richard opened the door and helped Raven down the stairs and onto his floor. She was beginning to go limp entirely.

"I think I've been drugged." She said, nearly falling forwards.

"I'd say you're right." He reached his apartment and opened the door, closing it behind him, nearly dragging Raven through the threshold of his bedroom. "You probably just need to sleep it off."

He lowered her into his bed, picking up her legs to tuck them under the sheets. He pulled the covers under her chin and looked at her, staring at him with those amethyst eyes that made him feel uneasy.

"Thank you..." She trailed off.

He chuckled, realizing he had said those exact words to her a few days ago. "Richard."

"Richard." She hummed before her eyes closed.

With one last glance at her, he walked out of the bedroom, leaving the door open just a crack. After grabbing a bottle of beer from the fridge, he settled on the couch, flipping the television on, and trying not to think of the beautiful girl currently sleeping in his bed.

...........

Raven woke feeling nauseous and weak. She groaned, turning over into her side, pulling the silk sheets tighter around her body. She inhaled deeply, catching the scent of Old Spice and something she could quite place.

Her eyes shot open. Where the hell was she?

She tried to remember last night, what happened that lead her to here. She racked her brain, thought over and over her plans for that evening, when it hit her suddenly. She gasped and launched upright in the bed, glancing around the room, her chest rising and falling heavily.

Richard? Nightwing? She had seen both of them last night, she remembered. She had that second date with Richard, remembering he stormed out on her, making up some excuse exactly as she had done last week.

She could feel his anxiousness whenever the middle aged man came into the diner, and it overloaded her senses, as she was frightened by the man too.

Slade, who had been tracking her for the last couple of weeks. And apparently, he was some connection to Richard, a bad one at that. She stayed and finished her dinner, but the waitress had come back and leaving her a drink from some man across the room.

Then she remembered being jumped in the alley by Red X. She was getting her ass handed to her, she remembered that much by the dull ache in her ribs and the pain in her head. That was when Nightwing came from out of nowhere and attacked Red X.

Raven was in Nightwing's bed. He had taken her to his apartment. Suddenly, a moment from last night reappeared in her mind.

_"Thank you..." She trailed off._

_He chuckled, realizing he had said those exact words to her a few days ago. "Richard."_

_"Richard." She hummed before her eyes closed._

She gasped. Nightwing and Richard. They were the same person.

She knew he had looked familiar, and that rasp to his voice, but she could piece why it hadn't clicked to her until now.

Nightwing, who had saved her life moments ago to pay her back for saving him, was Richard, the fun, attractive, intriguing man she'd met and had dinner with.

And now, she was in his bed.

If Richard knew that she was the half demon spawn who had saved him from Slade, he certainly didn't show it. He probably didn't know, otherwise he may have called her by her real name.

The doorknob turned and Raven fell back into the bed, feigning sleep.

Moments later she felt the bed dip with added weight, and just as she felt a warm hand on her arm, she snapped into action.

Raven sprang up, her hands finding Richard's wrists and pinning them to the bed, straddling his hips, her face inches above his own.

She saw his eyes flick to her first set of eyes, then her second. He gulped.

"Hello, Richard."


	4. Chapter 4

Raven could sense his fear and confusion and it made her laugh.

"How-how did you..."

"Not remember telling me your name, Boy Blunder?"

"I..." He berated himself for being incapable of forming coherent words.

Raven chuckled, her breath warm on his face. "Speechless, are we? You know, you sure seemed like you could hold a decent conversation a couple nights ago."

Richard gave her a confused look. "I'm pretty sure I was a blabbering fool the other night." He shifted under her, trying to decide if he could easily escape her grasp. "You know, with a broken ankle and a demon right in front of me."

" _Half_ demon." She hissed, leaning closer to his face. "I'm a _half_ demon, Boy Blunder."

"I'm sorry, _half_ demon." After a moment, he spoke again. "You should be thanking me instead of attacking me in my own home."

"Oh? And why should I do that?"

"I did save you from Red X. And allowed you into my home. I could have just left you up on the rooftop and waited for Red X to find you again."

She laughed. "Oh, Nightwing. Do you honestly think that you could have left me there to be captured?" She leaned in closer, brushing her nose against his cheek before moving to his ear. "I can feel your attraction to me." She whispered, her warm breath making him flinch underneath her. "You wouldn't have left me in that alley, even if your life _depended_ on it."

She took his earlobe between her teeth and bit down gently, earning a gasp from him. Raven chuckled, pulling back to look at his face.

"What do you want, Raven?"

He was still calling her Raven. Maybe he didn't know that she was the girl from the bar. She debated on telling him, but decided against it.

"Thank you for letting me crash here for a little bit." She smiled down at him, watching his icy blue eyes bore into her. "I should be going now."

As she moved to get off him, Richard grabbed her wrists and used her momentum against her, effectively pinning her under him exactly how she had him moments ago.

"Who said I was letting you leave?" 

She laughed. "You're cute." Then, black energy surrounded her, and she was gone.

"Dammit!" He plopped onto his back staring up at the ceiling.

.............

Richard woke up the next morning still feeling aggravated from last night's event. He thought he had Raven. He had pinned her to the bed and wanted to question her, but she had simply phased through his bed, the floor, and disappeared altogether.

He spent at least two hours searching the alleys and shops within a mile radius of his apartment. She had to be somewhere. Before that, he even spent an hour searching the apartment complex. He hadn't gotten back to his room until a little after four a.m.

Luckily he set his alarm for eleven a.m. It was time for him to get ready for lunch with Rachel. He dragged himself out of bed and trudged to the bathroom where he let ice cold water run over his body.

How could he be so _stupid_? Of _course_ Raven would have gotten away, regardless of her powers. She was cunning and extremely intelligent, she would have thought her way out of that in a split second.

Groaning, he shut off the water and towel dried before wrapping the blue towel around his waist and walking into his bedroom.

He did not expect to find the very girl haunting his dreams sitting on his bed, legs crossed and leaning back on her hands.

"It's about time you got out of there. Were you planning on being a brood all day or what?"

His heart skipped a beat as he realized that he was underdressed to have company in his room. Very much underdressed.

"Um... Raven, what are you..."

"Nervous, aren't we?" She chuckled, climbing to her feet and walking towards him. "What, have you never had a girl in your room before?"

"You were here last night." He turned around quickly and opened the top drawer of his dresser, pulling a pair of red boxers out.

"So, you've never had anyone of the female species, besides me, of course, in your bedroom?"

"Or apartment for that matter." He opened the closet door and slid inside, snapping it shut behind him.

He heard that unmistakable laugh through the wooden door. "Do you have stage fright, Richard?"

He flung the door open and buttoned his jeans. "Not at all." It was a complete lie, but he wouldn't admit that to her.

She laughed again. "I swear, sometimes you forget I'm an empath, don't you?"

Oh. There was that. He became agitated with the blush staining his cheeks and turned to the closet again, pulling a black t-shirt over his head.

"You know, you're pretty cute when you’re flustered." He whirled to face her, finding that downright sinful smirk on her face. "And I won't lie, you are _extremely_ well built. I bet it took you a long time to become that."

Richard said nothing, just gazed around the room for his jacket.

"Oh, did I offend tiny little Richard?" Raven talked in a baby voice and stepped in front of him, effectively cutting off his path. Her hands reached up and pinched his cheeks. "Poor baby."

She let go of an uncharacteristic squeak when Richard grabbed her wrists and slammed her into the wall beside the door. His face was inches from her own, his breath hot against her mouth.

His eyes flared up with something before letting go of her, finding his jacket tossed over the back of the couch.

"Where are you going?" She called out to him.

"None of your damn business." He barked, reaching for the door handle.

Just as the door opened, it slammed shut and Richard heard the unmistakable sound of the lock clicking. He spun around, seeing Raven standing with her hands on her hips.

"Tell me and I'll let you go."

He sighed, running his hand through his damp hair. "I don't _believe_ this." He mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm having lunch with this girl I met at a bar a couple nights ago. We tried having dinner twice, but things kept coming up. So, instead of trying for dinner again, I offered lunch."

"Oh." She seemed sort of thrown off about the statement. "Can I meet you tonight?"

"Why?" He asked, searching her face.

"On the roof at midnight. I'll see you then, Boy Blunder." He heard the lock click and watched the black energy envelope Raven again before she was gone for the third time.

............

"There is no way _that_ actually happened." Rachel said, her eyes wide.

"Yeah, and it happened." Richard felt much better after walking into the diner and seeing Rachel sitting there waiting for him. "One of my proudest moments."

"You did _not_ wrestle with an alligator."

"No, I did not wrestle with an alligator. I wrestled with a crocodile. In my opinion, they're much worse."

"How did you even manage to do that?"

"Well, my friend told me I was a chicken shit and wouldn't jump in the crocodile exhibit, so I did. And then I had to wrestle with one until they got someone in there to help me. I have a pretty nasty scar on my shoulder from where it bit me."

"Oh my god, will you show me?"

He paused. She actually seemed interested in the scar. He didn't figure she would be, but she was. Normally, he would've shown her no problem, but then he remembered something.

The other scars that covered his body. The ones he earned in his career.

"Richard?" Rachel's voice brought him back from his thoughts. "Is everything alright?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, everything's fine. I'll have to show you that scar another time."

"Okay." She smiled at him before taking a sip of her drink.

They fell into a strange silence, one they'd never had before.

"So," Rachel finally broke the silence, "do you have any family that lives around here?"

"Um, not exactly." He said, clasping his hands on the table.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well," he tried to think of where he should begin, "my parents died when I was young. I was taken in by this older guy, but I left him not too long ago."

"So, you live here by yourself? You don't know anyone from here?"

He shook his head and closed his eyes. A cold hand was touching his, and he opened his eyes, seeing Rachel shooting him a sympathetic look. "No. No, no. Don't go giving me that look."

Rachel said nothing, but gently tugged away one of his hands and held it in both of her own, her thumbs stroking small circles over the back of his hand. It was a soothing touch, and he had to admit, it was slowly working out his frustrations.

"I've never met my father before." She spoke so softly that Richard almost didn't hear her. "My mother told me about him, about what a monster he was. She was afraid of him."

"I'm sorry."

"I don't know anything about him other than he's a shitty person. I don't know if I have his hair or his eyes or even if I have some of his characteristics."

Richard turned his hand so that he held hers, his free hand coming up to take her other one. "Well, if he's never made an effort to be in your life, then he doesn't deserve to be a part of it ever."

The door to the diner opened again and Richard's stomach lurched. He knew that person. He knew that person well. He hoped to anyone that was listening that he wouldn't-

"Master Grayson? Master Grayson, is that you?"

Rachel locked eyes with Richard and then the elderly man who stood at their table.

"I think you have the wrong guy." Richard responded in a southern accent.

"Oh, dear, I'm very sorry. You look an awful lot like a wonderful young man I know. He's gone missing, you see. Been missing for nearly three years now."

"That’s a shame. I hope he finds his way back to you. Have a nice day, sir."

The older man nodded and gave a small smile before turning and walking towards the cash register.

"What was that all about?" Rachel sounded genuinely confused.

"I apologize for that. I'll explain later, I promise. Do you mind if we leave, maybe go someplace else?"

"No, not at all. As long as you tell me what that was all about."

"I will, I promise. Can we please just go?"

Rachel nodded and squeezed his hand before sliding out of the booth.

............

"Why did we come here?" Rachel questioned, her feet swinging over the edge of the dock.

"It was always one of my favorite places." He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"So," Rachel's hand slipped into his, "care to explain now?"

"That guy knows me. His name is Alfred, and he was the butler at the house I stayed in. This guy, he took in a lot of kids. There were four of us. Three boys and one girl. That man taught me everything I know."

"So, did you run away?"

"Sort of. One day, the boy living there I was closest to was murdered. I couldn't handle living in that house, so I left."

"Oh my, I'm sorry. That's terrible." Rachel hesitated before leaning her head against his shoulder.

Richard sighed, staring down at the water.

"Oh, _Little Bird_." A familiar voice called out and both Rachel and Richard spun around, seeing the familiar black clad man standing before them, the skeleton caricature staring them down. "You didn’t _actually_ think you could hide from me now, did you?”

Rachel gasped, scrambling to her feet. Richard did the same, standing in front of Rachel, despite the fact he'd heard that nickname before.

"Sorry to interrupt your date, pal, but she's a wanted criminal."

Richard exchanged looks with Rachel and made a barely noticeable head movement. "Well then, I guess that makes two of us."

Richard took an explosive from his belt and threw it at Red X. He felt Rachel's hand grab his and he felt himself being dragged into the coldness.


	5. Chapter 5

Richard _couldn't believe_ it. The facts had been right under his nose, but he was oblivious to them all. Raven called him Boy Blunder, a mistake Rachel had made. And come to think of it, Red X made an appearance in the diner that night that Rachel had to flee, but Richard never thought anything of it.

Until now, at least.

She knew his name, that night that he had saved her from the hero. And when she said he was capable of holding a conversation, she hadn't meant that night on the roof that she had saved him.

She meant the night they went to dinner after the bar.

Even at a different time of day, they both had to bolt on their... Date? Social gathering? He didn't know what to call it, but all he knew was it always got interrupted, and always by the heroes.

Always those damn heroes.

He was aware that his body felt warmer and everything became brighter, something crunching under his feet. Richard looked next to him, Raven in her human form rather than her villain one. They were in the woods somewhere, it couldn't have been far from the dock.

"That was a close-" Raven's sentence was cut off as Richard grabbed her arms and slammed her into a nearby tree.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He demanded, pushing his face closer to her own.

"Tell you what?" She laughed. "You mean you wanted me to tell a man, one that I found highly attractive, that I was a half demon sorceress? Sure, because you wouldn't have been freaked out at all."

"I meant after we met. When you saved my ass."

"I didn't know that was you. I didn't have any idea who you were until you told me your name after X attacked me."

"So why didn't you tell me then?" Richard was still in her face, and it seemed he wasn't planning on moving away until he had his answers.

Or until Raven's extra eyes made an appearance and startled him, causing him to stumble back a few steps. "I wanted to be sure."

They fell into an uncomfortable silence, Richard staring at the ground, while her eyes were trained on him. Raven could feel Richard's anger, his frustration, she even caught a little hint of betrayal. But, all that faded, and was replaced with hurt.

Finally, Richard raised his eyes to meet hers. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

"Richard." Rachel took a step closer, reaching for his hand. He flinched at the contact, but Rachel held onto his hand. "I wanted to be sure. I didn't want to scare you away."

Richard nodded, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again. "Nothing could have scared me away from you."

Rachel gasped, tearing her eyes away from his, berating herself for blushing.

"You can't run forever, Little Bird!" The voice was close, tearing the two villains away from each other. They saw the black blur closing in on them and exchanged glances again.

Rachel took Richard's hand and he felt the darkness wrap around him again.

...........

They landed on the rooftop of his apartment building, Rachel still grasping his hand. She pulled him to the entrance, both of them running down the stairs and to his floor. She flung open the door with her powers, slamming it behind them.

They leaned against the door, shoulders touching, both of them breathing deeply. The exchanged looks, then burst into laughter.

"So you blew off the first night because he showed up?" Richard asked, looking over at her.

She nodded, laughing. "And you blew off the second night because of Slade, who then found you later in the alley."

"Which, you saved my ass from." He smiled at her, finally pulling away from the wall.

" _Gladly_ , saved your ass from." She returned the smile.

"So," Richard began, picking up her hand in both of his, playing with her fingers, "I'm beginning to think that we can't have our date in the city."

She chuckled, shooting him that sinful smirk again. "I think you're correct."

"Well, since we're in agreement, why don't we go somewhere outside the city?"

"That may be the best idea you've had all day." She smiled again, taking his hand as he led them back onto the street.

...............

Raven snorted into her hand while her other smacked the table. "You _can't_ be serious!"

"Dead serious." Richard replied, laughing as Raven laughed even harder.

"You seriously slipped _Slade_ a muscle relaxer?"

"Yeah, it was great. I kept running from him, and then he just got really tired and dropped. Of course, the joke was more on me, because I had to carry him to the nearest hospital and just leave him there."

Raven laughed again, covering her face with her hands. Richard picked up his drink, emptying his glass and setting it back down, looking to find Raven staring at him.

"What?" He said, feigning worry. "Is there something on my face?"

She chuckled, shaking her head, a few strands of pitch black hair falling into her face. "No, it's not that."

"Then what is it?"

She was quiet for a few moments, spinning a small ring on her finger. "I don't know, honestly."

"Hmph." He uttered, crossing his arms. "Fine then, don't tell me."

She laughed again, casting that sinful smirk his way once again. "It's hard to explain. I'll try another day, I promise."

Sighing, Richard uncrossed his arms and have Raven an eye roll. "I guess I can wait for it." She laughed and his blank expression broke, a smile lighting up his face.

"I do believe we should be heading back soon."

"Oh?" He questioned.

"I have a job, and I cannot be late for it."

"Ah, I understand. Then, may I escort you home, Rachel?"

A faint red color spread across her face. "I suppose you could."

He smiled back at her, standing from the table and taking her hand.

............

Rachel lived in an apartment complex, much like the one he lived in, only a few miles away from his. He walked her up to her floor and paused by the door.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around, Richard."

"Oh, I guarantee you'll be seeing a lot of me."

She smiled at him, her hand still in his. "Goodnight, Richard." She tugged on his hand, pulling him closer. She reached up on her tip toes, pressing her lips to his cheek.

Something inside of him snapped. His hands gripped her waist and pushed her back against the door, leaning down and pressing his lips against hers. Shortly after, her hands tangled in his hair, pulling him closer. His tongue traced across the seam of her lips, hers darting out to meet his.

He pulled away reluctantly. "Goodnight, Rachel." He whispered, pecking her lips once more before taking a step away from her.

"Richard?" She asked, seeming to be out of breath.

"Yes, Rachel?"

"I get off work at six tomorrow. Would you like to-"

"I'll be here at six thirty." He smiled at her. She returned it before turning her back on him and opening the door.

Richard wished every night could be like this.


End file.
